


The Sweet Spot

by Waterproofbabyvamp



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Parents, Bakery and Coffee Shop, Bedtime Stories, M/M, Photography
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2016-04-11
Packaged: 2018-06-01 15:47:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6526351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waterproofbabyvamp/pseuds/Waterproofbabyvamp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis works in a bakery turned coffee shop. He loves working there but when he gets bored he amuses himself with the funny looking young man that sits at the back of the shop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sweet Spot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [haloeverlasting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/haloeverlasting/gifts).



“Daddy? Will you tell me the story again of how you and Papa met?” Louis’ daughter asked him as he walked inside her room. It was bed time and she needed to be kissed goodnight before she’d even consider laying down to sleep.

“What? Again?” Louis asked amused at his daughters’ request. “I’ve told it to you about a hundred times already.”

“Yes again, I like hearing it.” She said fluffing up her pillow and making herself comfortable.

“Okay, Okay.” Louis said and took the pink desk chair. Emily being seven had insisted she needed a desk to do her homework and study for tests and after some continuous insistence, her daddy had given in.

“So,” he said scooting closer to his little girl and started the story. “When Daddy was about twenty one years old he-“

“He took a job at the bakery.” Emily finished for him.

“Yes that’s right. He got a job at the local bakery. School costs a lot of money and daddy wanted to earn enough before he tried to go back to school. The Sweet Spot was slowly getting more and more costumers and daddy was hired to work as a waiter. They expanded the shop and people started stopping by for lunch. Business was running smooth until one day a funny looking young man appeared.”

“Papa!” Emily announced.

“Yes papa had arrived. He was dressed rather funny so your Daddy had some fun with him.”

_Louis had been in the shop all day and nothing fun had happened at all. The time was crawling by and the work was dull. The dishes had been done and the tables had been cleaned. The counter had been filled and that was all Louis was supposed to do and now all he could do was look at the costumers who were already eating or look outside at the sky turning darker as time passed._

_It turned out Louis didn’t have to wait long for the next costumer because about five minutes later a weird looking man entered the shop. Louis being as bored as he was, had plenty of time to study the man as he approached._

_He had long hair and was wearing a large hat. He was already wearing sunglasses. Who wore sunglasses when there wasn’t any sun at all out? His brown boots were worn, the only accessory that wasn’t looking perfect but it still fit with the entire outfit, tapping the floor as he walked. He also wore a pair of black skinny jeans and a loose shirt, with flamingos on it._

_Flamingos._

_Niall would have a proper laughing fit if he had seen the guy. Flamingo’s were a little over the top._

_“Uh I would like to order please.” The man said, Louis hadn’t noticed that the man had approached the counter, too caught up in studying him, but he recovered quickly enough. He was a customer after all._

_“Oh Hi, Yes.” Louis said “Welcome to The Sweet Spot. How may I help you?”_

_“I’d like one of those strawberry tarts with a coffee please. Black with sugar.” He said and hastily added a “Please.” As if he thought he sounded rude._

_“That is six pounds, seventy five pence please.” Louis answered. “To go?”_

_“No I’ll eat it here.” The hat man replied “Should I wait or will you bring the-“_

_“You can have a seat. I’ll come to you once everything’s done.” Louis said and smiling at the hat man he handed him the money. “Thanks I’ll be there shortly.”_

_The man turned around and walked to the back of the café. Even though there weren’t any costumers that occupied the better places the hat man still opted for the seat in the back._

_Louis shrugged and went to make the coffee, setting it on a little platter where the bakery’s logo was proudly displayed, accompanied by the strawberry tart. Louis was happy to finally do something but it wasn’t a large order so he’d finished within five minutes. He picked up the tray and went to the back of the café stopping at hat man’s table and wishing him to enjoy his meal before heading back to the counter. He cleaned all the utensils he’d used and went back to doing nothing. Louis had been staring into space when his phone buzzed in his hand._

_“How’s work going?” Niall had sent._

_“Slow, people don’t seem in the mood for sweets today.”_

_“That’s the worst :/”_

_“Yeah it is, but look at this boy/man he looks like he’s a rock star or something. He was wearing sunglasses.” He replies and took a picture of the man sitting at the back. He still hadn’t done much and he had seemed to be stuck in his thoughts. Louis had kept looking at him and when the man turned his head meeting Louis’ eyes he almost jumped. He hadn’t expected that. The man’s eyes were bright and piercing and it felt like he could see all Louis had just done or like he knew all Louis had just thought about him. Louis tore his eyes away from the man and turned around to lean against the counter, his phone in his hand._

_This man was really good looking. He had this amazing jaw that could cut glass. His eyes were if the shitty camera on his phone was right, a greenish colour. Like a green pond. But just as he wanted to pocket his phone again it buzzed in his hand._

_“Oh god is he for real? I like the style but isn’t it a bit over the top for a bakery?”_

_“Yeah maybe.”_

_Louis turned around hiding behind the bread cutter machine, staring at the hat man. He wasn’t looking anymore. He had turned his head and was looking through the window, watching the rain fall. Louis took out his phone again and zoomed in. He took another photo._

_“Niall god damn he might wear flamingos on his shirt but he’s really fit.” He hit sent and looked up to find him gone._

_“Where’d he go?” Louis asked himself looking at the abandoned chair and half eaten strawberry tart. He looked around and couldn’t find him anywhere. He’d probably needed to go to the toilet._

“This is the part where Daddy will have the fright of his life.” Harry said walking into his daughter’s room, effectively stopping Louis from telling the rest of the story.

“I know!” Emily shouted, happy her Papa had come upstairs too. Harry went to sit on her bed.

“You already know what happens next right.” Harry said smiling “You know this story better than we do.”

“But you tell it so much better.”

Louis laughed “Tell me what happens now Em.” Louis said.

_Louis turned back around and jumped at the figure standing there in front of him. He dropped his phone and jumped at the clattering sound it made._

_“Oh I’m sorry.” Harry immediately apologized “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He looked genuinely sorry. “I just came looking for some extra sugar.”_

_“Yeah sure.” Louis said picking his phone off the ground “Sugar.” He repeated. “Here you go.” He said and took a few packets of sugar._

_“Thanks.” Hat man said and turned back, his shoes clacking after him._

_Louis held his hand above his heart and felt it racing. He thought he might have been caught taking the pictures and having to explain himself._

_Louis turned around, going back to his phone to look at the new text from Niall._

_“He is rather handsome.” Niall had sent “Totally your type.”_

_Louis rolled his eyes at the screen. Niall had this mission to get him a boyfriend because he thought it had been too long. And he was kind of right, it had been a rather long time._

_The last time Louis had a boyfriend was two years ago. He was a librarian and they had met when Louis needed to get out of the pouring rain. That hadn’t turned out that well, not bad but not good either. They just grew apart, not really wanting to or needed to go on with each other and that was strange to Louis because they had the novel meeting. Hiding from the rain and Louis being let in after hours by this kind stranger. It was the perfect beginning with the wrong ending. After that Louis didn’t really jump into anything else. He was happy the way he was. A normal kind of lonely but not to the extent where he wanted to go and get a boyfriend or someone to be with. He was happy with his newly found quiet life._

_Until now._

_This goddamned hat man was more distracting than Niall eating spaghetti. Lots of slurping and sauce flying everywhere. It isn’t pretty._

_Louis looked up and saw him again, not really trying to look away now. He was moving slowly and calmly that it looked like he was trying to live in slow motion. He picked up a book he had probably brought with him and looked for the page where he had left off. He read for a good five minutes when Louis felt the need to take another picture._

_This was getting ridiculous. Why was he taking pictures of a strange man? Louis had no idea but he’s doing it anyway. He liked pretty things and usually took pictures of those pretty things. They just had never been a man before._

_The man looked up and outside again, snapping his book shut. Standing up, he walked over to Louis. Louis froze. He had been caught and he was going to be yelled at and not just by this man but also by his boss._

_“Um excuse me.” He said. Louis looked at him._

_“Yes?” he replied timidly._

_“Although I am really flattered that you are taking pictures of me. It is getting a bit strange.”_

_Louis couldn’t say anything. He was frozen to the spot. How on earth did he notice? He had to get out of this situation. Make something up. He didn’t care how but he needed to get out of this weird situation he had just worked himself into._

_“I take pictures.”_

_The hat man stared. “Yes you did.”_

_“No, I mean, I take pictures as art. You kind of inspired me?” He explained. It sounded like a question but for some reason this weird hat man believed him._

_Louis saw the man’s cheeks turn a little red, a light dusting._

_“Oh um wow.” He said not looking at Louis directly anymore. “I’ve never had that happen before.” He was playing with his long hair now, tugging on a longer strand and twirling it around his finger. “I mean you kind of scared me first with it. I saw you through the reflection of the window. I thought you were a creepy stalker taking pictures to try and kill me later.”_

_Louis laughed, loud and truthful. “I’m sorry. I wanted to do a little project and didn’t know what and then I saw you. It just kind of fit.”_

_Louis was lying through his teeth but he still kind of told the truth. Hat man is really pretty._

_“If you want to I’d like to help. I could do whatever you wanted to take pictures. Well not whatever you wanted but you know like, I could like model or something.”_

_He was really red right now. Oh shit._

_“Really? wow that would be really nice of you.” Louis said not really knowing why. “It would be amazing. I don’t want to put you in any discomfort right now with all this-“_

_“No!” Hat man said “I’d love to help. I love art I’m just not good at it.”_

_Louis was fucked._

_-_

_Louis had taken a five minute break to go and sit with man that was now his model. The things Louis did for love. The man had taken it upon him to become his model and help Louis in his non-existent project and had asked when Louis got off work. He told him that he could take a five minute break right now as there were no customers waiting._

_“I’m Harry by the way. Harry Styles.” He said and walked to his table at the back of the shop._

_Well that’s a rather fitting last name with the flamingos and all._

_“I’m Louis Tomlinson.” Louis said since Harry had introduced himself with his last name._

_“Can you tell me about your project or is it still in the process of being put together?”_

_“Still in the process to be honest. You were the spark that lit the fire.” Louis said smiling._

_“Okay,” Harry said. “Where do you want to meet? I’m free for the next two weeks.”_

_“Monday would be best. I’m still thinking about the location.” He wasn’t but he wanted Harry’s number. “So could I have your number and text you when and where? I promise I won’t make you come in early or really late or anything like that.”_

_“Sure that’s fine.” Harry said and they exchanged numbers._

_-_

_He had invited Harry to his home. Where he would ‘take home like pictures. Those that would seem really natural and pretty.’_

_He had thrown Niall out of their apartment and made sure everything was clean and picture approved. He had opened all the windows to let in fresh air and shut them again when it started to rain. He was now forced to clean too since It had rained inside the house. When he was finally finished he sat down on his couch. He didn’t even have a camera. ~~~~_

_He’ll have to use his phone. He was panicking inside his head when the bell rang and he jumped. Harry was here and he wasn’t ready to be a perfect photographer._

_He stood up and opened the door. He didn’t really know how to start this weird get together._

_“Hi.” Harry greeted him with a big smile. ~~~~_

_“Hi.” Louis answered. “Come in.” he said letting Harry pass. This is going to be so painful._

_Even though Louis hadn’t known how all this worked, he just went for it and asked if Harry wanted a drink. He asked for water. Louis filled a glass and gave it to him, he was trying to talk about what he wanted to achieve with this session. Even though he had no idea._

_“I was thinking of doing this on bare feet.” Louis said hoping it would be okay with harry. “Making it feel homely.”_

_Harry nodded like he understood what Louis meant even though Louis didn’t. “I get it, like the soft feeling of being home and its okay to walk around with bare feet.”_

_Louis nodded not really wanting to answer because if Harry understood it would be more than okay to photograph._

_“Let’s get started.” Louis said._

_Harry went to sit down on the couch and started unzipping his boots. Louis had his phone out already and was ta ~~l~~ king pictures of harry ta ~~l~~ king them of. He didn’t know what he was doing but kept going, at first there were ten shots and Harry asked to see them. Louis nodded not really caring aboutit._

_Harry went through them. He stopped at one where he could see one of Harry’s feet on the floor the other still hanging in the air and his shoe artfully tossed aside. Harry wasn’t even in the shot it was just his feet and shoe._

_“This one.” Harry said and showed it to Louis. “It’s… I don’t know. It has something. Something je ne sais quoi.”_

_Harry just spoke French. Is that an artsy thing to do?_

_“You think? And what does that mean?” he asked Harry, looking at him._

_“I don’t know.” He said dismissingly_

_“You don’t know what it means?” Louis asked laughing confused at the weird use of a strange language when not even knowing what it means._

_Harry laughed “it means ‘I know not what’ I didn’t add the last part it sort of means the same. At least that’s what I think it means.”_

_It was Louis’ turn to laugh now. “Okay baby mick let’s not pretend to be a professional in something we have no idea about.”_

_Louis kind of kicked himself in the nuts because how ironic when he’s actually doing that very exact thing but hey Harry didn’t know that._

_“Let’ continue.” Louis said. He made Harry sit up straight and told him to pick a pose and change after ten seconds._

_They didn’t talk, Harry just moved around, posing at all the right times. Sometimes Louis’ hand would shoot out to try and correct harry but Harry would already be doing it himself. When he had a bit of a stupid moment he caught his own hand in the shot and as he went to delete it he realized there was something about the photo, but a whatever Harry had just said in French about it. He felt inspired and tried more of those._

_He started with just making Harry lay still looking at him and let his hand tell the story. He let his hand hang from the back of the sofa and took a selfie picture excluding his face Harry was looking at him in the picture.* He kept looking for good angles but couldn’t find one so he went to sit in front of Harry and took portrait of his finger poking Harry’s face. At first Harry was stunned but he burst out laughing in the second photo and so did Louis but he kept taking pictures. Louis was drifting away in the process of taking pictures and trying different things that he just took Harry’s hand and pressed their palms together. His small hand against the bigger hand of Harry’s. The picture taken there harry his smile was getting smaller but his eyes were getting more intense._

_He let go and went back to the phone to look at the pictures. He liked the last one and Harry wanted to see it too._

_“It’s really pretty.” He said. “Can I have a copy?”_

_“Of course it’s not like I’m a big artist or something.” He said and let harry look at the other pictures._

_“Oh god some of those picture of me laughing are so ugly. I look like I’m going to explode.”_

_“You look very pretty.” Louis said as he looksat them over Harry’s shoulder._

_“Thanks.”_

“Daddy was already in love with papa.” Harry said interrupting the story.

“Of course babe. I fell for you the second I saw you. I just didn’t know it yet.” Louis said and leaned forward to kiss Harry on the cheek.

“I was just as gone for you, you know that right?”

Louis just smiled.

“Would you two save it for when the story is done? I want to hear the end.” Emily said interrupting her dads trying to be all soft and mushy.

“Okay princess lets get on with your story.”

_“You are too you know. Why do you keep your face off the frame?” Harry said giving the phone back to Louis._

_“Because it saves me the trouble of having to cut myself out afterwards.”_

_Harry sighed. “I don’t know a lot about making art but you should be in it too.”_

_Silence. That’s all that happens right now._

_“I mean like a self-portrait.” Harry added quickly not wanting to be misunderstood._

_“Oh right.” Louis said and just took another photo of Harry._

_“I don’t know much about it either.”_

_“What? Yes you do. Look at you.”_

_Louis was feeling conflicted he didn’t like this idea of lying to Harry. This man was being so nice, offering his modelling skills to Louis and helping him with ideas and they’re all for nothing. Louis isn’t even a photographer, he’s just Louis. Nothing special._

_“I’ve got to be honest. I’m not really doing a project. I just wanted to see you again and I thought taking creepy pictures of you would make you want to go away.”_

_Harry didn’t really answer._

_“I just wanted to see you again and not scare you away.”_

_Harry still didn’t answer._

_“You can run now if you want.” Louis added miserably._

_“I don’t want to leave.” He said. “I don’t really know how to react but I don’t really mind. At least you didn’t follow me around to take more pictures.”_

_“I’m sorry.” Louis felt dejected._

_“No it’s okay. I do still like your ideas about all this. They’re interesting.” ~~~~_

_Louis laughed. “I really have no idea what I’m doing.”_

_“No need to. You seem to be doing it just right.”_

_“Maybe but still I don’t know why or what I’m doing all of this for. I guess I’m trying to impress you in a way.”_

_“Louis, nobody ever called me pretty and took pictures of me when I wasn’t looking. I already told you I was flattered by it. Nothing bad or wrong. I kind of also just offered to help and model because I wanted to see you too. I didn’t even care if you were a stalker to be honest.”_

_Louis laughed “let’s get out of here.”_

_-_

_Harry now back with his shoes on and wrapped in his winter jacket, a brown sheepskin like coat was walking with Louis. He had shyly grabbed hold of Louis’ hand and they were walking around the park and were talking about how stupid they both were._

_“I never even took an art class harry, I don’t even own a camera.” Louis said laughing._

_“I thought it was smart of you, not spending money on one and being original. I thought it had to do with it being homey.”_

_“Really Harry you are so sweet.”_

_“No it’s true. It was inventive and appropriate for the situation.”_

_“Why don’t you study art harry? you clearly know a lot about it.”_

_“I’m not good with materials and other stuff to make art. I just let it appear in my clothing.” He shrugged._

_“Like the flamingos!” Louis almost shouted, in enthusiasm._

_“Yes like the flamingos.” Harry answered._

_They had been busy with their fifthround of the park when out of nowhere rain started pouring down. Harry grabbed a firm hold on Louis and ran to take cover under a big old oak. He turned around and let his back slam against the tree with Louis following._

_“Watch out Louis don’t let the evil water from the sky get you.”_

_Louis laughed “Harry its just rain.”_

_“I know. I just want an excuse to get you to come even closer to me.”_

_Louis looked up into Harry’s green eyes, want burning in his entire body. He felt all the loneliness over the last few years all at once. Going to movies alone or just not having anyone to talk to other that Niall. The lonely, empty nights and he didn’t want them anymore. He wanted Harry with him he wanted cuddles with him and he wanted the hand holding in public and it looked like harry wanted all those things too. Him being alone and reading a book in a bakery means he might have been lonely too._

_“I’m done being alone.” Louis said._

_“Me too.” Harry nodded and closed the space between them, finally kissing him whilst hiding from the rain under the big old oak._

“The end.” Louis said laying his already sleeping daughter down and kissed her goodnight. He and Harry stood up and closed the door to their daughter’s bedroom and made their way to their own. The master bedroom. The hallway they passed hanging full of pictures. Those that Louis once took the very first they met, those that he took the day that they had their little shoot. The one’s that Louis used to get for art school, also featuring harry. They were all around the house and that’s exactly how harry wanted it. In the living room they had a big blow up family photo of them and Emily on the trampoline and their dog trampling all above them as they tried to take the shot, having jumped up and on them the last few seconds.

Louis loved his home. He loved his beautiful husband and their adorable daughter.

“I love you.” Louis said when they both lay cuddling in bed.

“I love you too.” Harry replied pressing against Louis.

“Without you I would still be in that bakery.” Louis said carding his fingers through Harry’s long curls.

“I wouldn’t have cared.” Harry said and leaned in to kiss Louis. “You are perfect just the way you were then and you still are now.”

Louis smiled at the praise “You know Emily really loves that story. She asked for it four times this week.”

“She’s just obsessed with Love. She keeps asking for romantic movies to see.” Harry said “She wanted to see Love actually today and Mama Mia. Last week we all watched Notting hill. She’s obsessed.”

“You are too!” Louis said laughing “you couldn’t be more pleased with her obsession. You are a rom com addict.”

“Okay you might be right.” Harry said and looked up at his husband. “But you don’t care.”

“No, love it.” And he kissed Harry again.

As they turned around and fell asleep, he felt like this all wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t lied to Harry. He would have never seen the strange hat man again. He would still be working in that old bakery and he would have never discovered the passion he had for taking pictures. He wouldn’t have gone to school and started a career in photography.

His life would have been completely different but right now he didn’t care about all the other things that could have happened. He was happy with his choices.

Louis wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> Big thanks to my amazing beta stripesandcurls it was a pleasure working with you :D


End file.
